


The Stars are Always Prettiest at Night

by sunscreams



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: (a lesbian mood), Bonding, Edited, F/F, First Kiss, Getting Together, Pining, Stargazing, Trini is a gay Disaster, re-uploaded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 13:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15950381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunscreams/pseuds/sunscreams
Summary: Trini’s just about to take a sip of her tea when she hears her phone buzz against the counter across the kitchen. Trini pads over to the device, her heart skipping as she sees that Kim—Kim—has texted her personally.Kimmy HartHey girl what’s up?Trini hovers over the keypad of her phone, staring at the light in the dark for so long that her eyes start to hurt. What does she say? What is she supposed to say? Kimberly Hart is texting Trinity Kwan at 2am. In what universe does this make sense?Or the one where Trini has a nightmare and Kim is the only one awake.





	The Stars are Always Prettiest at Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I posted this fic originally way back in 2017 just after the movie was released and since then my writing style has changed so much and I've learned so much, so (because I love this fic so much) I've decided to come back and rework this. If you really loved the old one, you can access it [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZA5utTqQJlherusBbk70akQdSUZ5_P9CG5IktpnDxdk/edit?usp=sharing) on google docs. 
> 
> So, without further ado, the new and improved fic.

Trini barely has her eyes open as the yellow alien armour begins to crawl over her skin. It starts at the top of her spine and works its way down the rest of her body. It moves over her skin seamlessly; as if it had always been there. Somehow it manages to highlight the best parts of her, making her look and feel strong and powerful—like the Power Ranger she’s supposed to be instead of the scared little kid she really is.

Trini looks over her shoulder to her team—suited up and looking every part the superheroes readying to save the world they are. Trini can feel her heart lift, her body filling with confidence as she looks upon the self-assured faces of her teammates. 

Kim sends a smirk in Trini’s direction, all dark, twinkly eyes and raw confidence. Trini can’t help the way her breath hitches, sending a shaky smile of her own back. They’re both ready to kick some Putty ass. 

Trini catches a flash of red movement out of the corner of her eye, turning to see Jason talking. He’s got this determined look on his face, and he has to be saying something uplifting, but Trini can’t hear it. She can’t hear anything, actually. Just her breathing and the low hum of the alien suit. 

Trini bats the side of her head, trying to find the button that will lift her visor because her comm must just be malfunctioning; there’s really nothing to be worried about. 

Except there might be something to worry about, because her visor isn’t lifting. The visor isn’t lifting and the comm isn’t working and Trini is trapped. She’s trapped in an alien suit that keeps her safe from outside threats, but also keeps her unable to move inside. 

Trini closes her eyes again against the fear, because she’s better than this. She’s better than a panic attack because of a little suit malfunction. And when she opens her eyes, all she can see through her broken visor and the windshield of her Zord is fire. 

Trini tears her eyes away from the orange, yellow, red of the fire, to the angry flashing of warnings going off in her Zord. All Trini can hear is her own heavy breathing, and the blood pumping through her veins. All she can feel is the skin tight suit clinging to her—trapping her—and the heat form the encroaching fire pushing back her Zord, forcing her to give up ground she was supposed to be protecting. 

Movement just beyond her viewport, catches Trini’s eye, pulling her out of her panic, as she prays for a rescue. Instead of Kim or Jason, Zack or Billy, it’s Rita who hovers in front of her, a sick smile curling over her lips. 

Rita laughs, and Trini can hear it; the sound alone curdling the blood in her veins as she struggles to look away. Trini blinks and then Rita is in the Zord in front of her. Rita’s hands reaching toward Trini, wrapping around her neck, squeezing the life out of her, all with the backtrack of Rita’s humourless laughter. 

Trini feels the Zord under her lurch backward, moving dangerously close to the crystal they're trying to protect. The crystal they're failing to protect. The crystal _Trini_ is failing to protect. 

* * *

Trini wakes up with a start, her breaths coming in stuttering pants and her heart beating so hard in her chest, that her clavicle starts to ache. The blankets are tangled around her legs, and distantly, Trini realizes she’s trembling; from either the sweat that's cooling on her skin, or the fear that’s lurking, barely concealed under the surface.

With trembling hands, Trini flicks on the lamp sitting on the desk next to her, chasing away the shadows that linger in the corners of her bedroom. The ones that grin at her like Rita did. The ones whose fingers scratch at her like Rita’s did. The ones that laugh at her like Rita did. 

Trini closes her eyes, against the images. “I’m okay,” she says, needing to hear her own voice say it. “We’re alive,” she gasps as she grabs onto fistfuls of her own hair, placing her head between her knees. “She’s gone,” Trini says as she pulls in deep lungfuls of air. “She’s gone,” Trini says again, and her breathing finally steadies. 

Trini takes one last steadying breath, rubbing the heels of her hands into her eyes until colour bursts there instead of Rita’s ugly smiling face. As Trini drops her hands, falling into a slouch, she knows there’s no way in hell she’s getting back to sleep. So, with a sigh, Trini slips her feet onto the floor and pads down to the kitchen, looking to brew herself a cup of sorely-needed tea. 

Trini pauses in the hallway on her way to the kitchen, a picture of her family smiling back at her, their faces glowing in the autumn afternoon the picture was taken in. Her eyes linger on her mom, who has her arms wrapped around all three of her kids, as best she can with two six-year-olds and a fifteen-year-old. She’s beaming and her face is so full of maternal warmth that Trini’s heart aches. 

She’s suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of longing for a hug from her mom. Because at one time, that was something she could have had. Trini could’ve knocked on her parents’ door and she could’ve timidly told them she had a nightmare. Then, her mom would roll out of bed and in a few short strides, Trini would be wrapped up in her mother’s arms. Trini would lean her head on her mom’s shoulder, and maybe even cry while her mom petted her hair. 

Except now, Trini is different. Trini is different and her mom is not, and now instead of warm hugs, Trini gets drug tests. 

Trini quickly wipes away a tear and moves onto the kitchen. 

As Trini sets the kettle to boil, she opens her phone, the Power Rangers group chat still open from just before she went to bed. Zack sent in a student athlete meme about an hour ago with the message _@jason_ —which, okay, Trini can admit, is kind of funny. The only people who’ve been in the chat in the last hour though, are just Trini, Kim and Zack; Billy and Jason, probably still asleep. 

Trini wonders briefly if anyone is awake. After all it is better to suffer together than apart, right?

Right. 

So, with her mind made up, Trini sends a message into the group chat. 

**Yellow Ranger**  
_Hey, anybody awake? Can’t sleep :/_

After a few moments without an answer, Trini closes her phone with a sigh. Zack and Kim were on over an hour ago, they’ve probably fallen asleep by now, and sending a message into the chat, only to be seen by morning is kind of sad. 

Trini can see it now. The first message will come in by 6:50-ish when Jason wakes up. It will probably be an apology. Then Billy will send in an adorable animal picture, that Kim will love, then Zack will drop either an extremely obscure meme, or a link to a 45 minute vine compilation. 

And it will all be very pathetic because that’s just how Trini is.

Pathetic. 

The kettle flicking off, singling it’s boiling, pulls Trini out of her spiral. Placing her phone on the counter, Trini walks over to the kettle then pours the boiling water into her waiting mug over her teabag. Trini watches as the water turns a satisfying orange, the smell of chai and cinnamon soothing her nerves. Trini scoops a teaspoon of honey into her tea, listening to the soft clinking of the metal on porcelain as she watches the honey melt into the hot water. 

Trini’s just about to take a sip of her tea when she hears her phone buzz against the counter across the kitchen. Trini pads over to the device, her heart skipping as she sees that Kim— _Kim_ —has texted her personally. 

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Hey girl what’s up?_

Trini hovers over the keypad of her phone, staring at the light in the dark for so long that her eyes start to hurt. What does she say? What is she supposed to say? Kimberly Hart is texting Trinity Kwan at 2am. In what universe does this make sense?

Finally Trini settles on:

**Trini Kwan**  
_Nightmare :/ You?_

The reply is almost instantaneous. 

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Girl, saaamee_

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Ngl, I really want to talk, but like I don't want to type???_

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Can you sneak out??_

Trini looks into the dark house. She thinks about her room; the room where Rita tried to kill her. The room with the almost-living shadows. Her parents sleep deeper than the dead and the twins are usually pretty good about not snitching.

The decision is basically made for her. 

**Trini Kwan**  
_Probably_

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Awesome. I know this super cool spot on the mountain. It’s probably my fav place to stargaze. You down?_

**Trini Kwan**  
_Sure_

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Cool! Meet me at the cliff in like 10?_

**Trini Kwan**  
_Sure I’ll bring tea._

**Kimmy Hart**  
_Sweet :) I like oolong_

Oolong. Kim likes oolong tea. And Trini just agreed to meet with Kim in ten minutes with tea. Oolong tea. 

Does Trini even have oolong tea? Maybe. Yes, there it is in the back of the cupboard. God, how long has it been in there for? Does tea expire? Probably not, it’s just dried leaves right? Shit, leaves totally mould. Are these mouldy? They look fine. They’re probably fine. 

Trini quickly makes the tea, while casually panicking, because _holy shit_ Trini is going on a bonding field trip with the one and only Kimberly Hart. Fuck, one of the prettiest, smartest, strongest girls at school wants to spend one-on-one time with Trini and Trini is freaking out just the tiniest bit. 

Suddenly it occurs to Trini that she can't go hang out with _Kimberly Hart_ in her pyjamas which consist of exactly one ratty oversized sweatshirt from her dad’s college, one pair of black sports shorts with what Trini is pretty sure is a pizza sauce stain on them and one pair of holy socks. And changing means going upstairs. Upstairs and into her room. The room with the shadows that laugh and claw and choke. 

The room where Rita just about killed her. 

And suddenly Trini’s panic feels a little more serious. 

Trini takes a deep breath, and curls her hands into fists. Trini is a goddamned Power Ranger. She helped defeat Rita. That bitch is _gone._ They slapped her into fucking space, and no matter what species you are, there’s no way that her ancient aliens ass is coming back. 

She’s dead and shadows can’t hurt her. 

Plus the light it on so whatever. 

With that, Trini marches herself back up the stairs and into her room.

Trini rips off the old sweatshirt/sport shorts/socks ensemble and throws on a pair of thermal leggings, a black sports bra, a flannel jacket, and finally a baseball cap that she messily pulls her hair into a bun out the back of. Trini throws on a pair of socks almost as an afterthought just before she shoves her feet into a pair of combat boots.

Trini flicks off her lamp and grabs a bag to put a blanket, the two travel mugs of tea, and some tea cookies into before she sneaks out the front door and into the night to meet Kim. 

* * *

It ends up taking Trini almost 20 minutes to get to the cliff, but in Trini’s defence, the cliff is, like, pretty far out of town and mostly uphill, so really, you can’t blame a girl for being a little late. 

“Hey,” Kim calls out of the darkness, scaring Trini half to death.

“Holy—” Trini mumbles, stopping her bike and planting her feet on the ground.

Kim lets out a little giggle, “Calm down, it’s just me.”

“Yeah,” Trini breathes, “I knew that.”

Kim laughs again, “Whatever, you ready to walk?”

“Walk?” Trini cocks and eyebrow, sliding off her bike.

“Yeah,” Kim shrugs, “The place I wanna show you is about a mile that way,” Kim points onto the woods. There’s no path from what Trini can see, and the spaces between the trees are inky black under the light of the moon. 

“Don’t worry,” Kim says, “I know these woods like the back of my hand.” Then she takes Trini’s hand. “You’re safe as long as you’re with me.” Her smile is crooked and Trini’s heart is beating so fast and so hard in her chest that she feels like the just biked up the mountain three times. 

Trini clears her throat and prays that her hand isn’t sweaty, “Can I just leave my bike here?”

“I doubt anyone is wandering around at 2am, looking for a bike to steal,” Kim deadpans, “I think you’re going to be fine.”

“Okay,” Trini says, swallowing thickly as she guides her bike to the ground where she’s standing, never letting go of Kims hand. Once she stands up straight again, she says, “Lead the way then, Survivorman.”

Kim lets out an amused snort, “Okay, nerd, stay close.”

_That won’t be a problem_ , Trini thinks, clutching at Kims hand a little tighter as they head into the woods.

* * *

“Okay, so, a little backstory,” Kim starts as she hikes along a path that only she can see, “I live in a cabin on the other side of the mountain, and when I was little, my dad and I used to hike all over the place, and one of my favourite things to do was to find little places where I could imagine an awesome fort.” Kim pushes aside a tree branch, ducking under it, and holding it up from the other side for Trini to duck under after.

Once Trini is successfully though, Kim continues, “The trick to it, is to find an area that’s clear of trees and underbrush, but still has enough cover for it to be safe and cozy.”

“That makes sense,” Trini remarks, dutifully following Kim as she tells her story.

“Yeah, so one day, me and my dad were hiking and we stumble upon this little clearing and it was perfect. It was the best fort spot I’d ever seen, and I guess my dad agreed, because we ended up staying in the clearing for the whole day and even into the night,” Kim laughs a little.

“But that’s when the magic really happened,” Kim continues again, “The sky was so full of stars, I thought at first that they were aliens.” Kim stops and they both laugh a little, “But it was beautiful and I fell in love with the place. And I guess he did too because over the next couple of months, we built a sort of tree house observatory, and well,” she pauses to shrug slightly, “it’s really special to me.” 

At this, Trini’s heart stops and her stomach drops and she looses it a little bit. A second later her heart starts pounding and Trini couldn’t stop the smile that worms its way across her face even if she wanted to. 

Because Kimberly Hart is standing in front of Trini Kwan, her hair tucked behind one ear, her bangs in her face, a small, wistful smile curling her lips. Kim’s eyes are so soft in that moment and the butterflies in Trini’s stomach flutter all the way up until they’re kicking her diaphragm and he’s completely unable to breathe. 

_It’s really special to me_ , she said.

It’s really special—a personal place for Kim—and she's going to show it to Trini.

Trini ducks her head, trying to hide the blush that’s taken her cheeks. Trini has to clench her hands into fists to stop herself from grabbing Kim’s hand. 

“That’s really cool,” is all Trini manages to say, her voice raspy, a smile taking up most of her face. She clears her throat, “I mean, thank you for sharing that with me. It’s really cool.”

Kim shrugs, a crooked smile on her face. “Yeah, you don’t have to lie. I know it’s kinda lame,” is what Kim says, but there’s a glint of pride in her eyes.

“Hey, no,” Trini’s head snaps up, “It’s really cool that you have this place.”

Kim’s smile grows as she stares at Trini for a few beats. Finally she cracks and says, “Okay, yeah, I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty cool.” Kim starts with a giggle and Trini follows a second after. Kim softens again and Trini’s heart flutters. “It’s right behind here,” Kim jabs a thumb over her shoulder, “Are you ready?”

“So ready,” Trini says back, shaking her head with a smile on her face. Kim nods and turns around to push aside a leafy branch that she immediately ducks under. Trini follows not a moment later. 

Beyond the branch, is a small clearing. A large tree with maybe the most amazing, dangerous, and horrifyingly awesome tree house sits in the middle like something out of a story book. It’s beautiful and terrifying, held together with scrap wood and worn tarps like some sort of featured piece in the MOMA. 

“Wow,” Trini breathes as she takes it in. And she has to take a moment to really take it in, because wow. How is it possible that something like this exists literally less than a mile outside of Angel Grove? How did Trini never notice this?

Trini’s thoughts must be broadcasting on her face because Kim preens and says, “I know right.” She glances over her shoulder, shooting a smile at Trini, whose message is lost in the low light. 

“I used to come out here all the time when I was a kid,” Kim sighs a little. “But then school started getting serious and then there was cheerleading and parties I had to go to. And I guess, I just got so caught up in everything that I never had time to just—” she pauses, trying to find the right word, “—observe, I guess.”

Trini glances at Kim, but Kim is already looking at Trini. Their eyes lock for a few seconds before Kim sighs and looks back at the tree house. Her shoulders are slumped, but her face is turned up—and Trini has never been very religious, but in that moment, Kimberly looked like some sort of battle-worn saint.

Kim shuts her eyes, breathes in through her nose loud enough fro Trini to hear, he holds it for a few beats, then lets it go, opening her eyes—cleansed. 

Baptized.

Reborn.

“Anyway,” Kim turns to Trini with a small, lopsided grin on her face, “you ready to go in?”

“Yeah,” Trini says, lifting the corners of her mouth in a half-assed smile, feeling terribly inadequate.

Kim nods then leads the way. They climb into the house in silence, but not for lack of wanting. It’s just that, Trini knows that she’s never been very good at speaking with people, and for some reason this whole entire scenario feels entirely too fragile. She feels like one wrong word could take down the whole tree house and whatever tentative friendship has bloomed between them.

So, Trini settles with silence, leaving them to walk and climb through the fort with only their thoughts. 

Finally, after a fair bit of climbing, Kimberly crawls onto a sort of balcony. Its more of a slat-boarded platform with a few twined together branches as a railing. Kim sits with her legs dangling over the edge of the platform, her arms wrapping around the branches only for her to settle her head on her folded arms. Trini settles next to her, shrugging her backpack off her shoulders and onto her lap. 

This is when Trini notices the stars. They fill up the sky and leave Trini in awe. Each of those tiny dots is a sun, larger or smaller or similar to ours. And each of those tiny dots could house planets that in turn house life. Life that Earth can’t even comprehend yet. 

Trini’s eyes trace the constellations she knows: Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Orion and Gemini. Then she traces new lines, making pictures for himself; homemade constellations with stories only she knows.

Trini is so caught up in looking at the starts that she startles when Kim lets out a little giggle next to her. Trini snaps her eyes to Kim and realizes her mistake. The stars may have been beautiful, but Kimberly with starlight in her eyes and moonlight in her hair, is breathtaking. 

And Trini can’t breathe. 

Kim shakes her head, “I told you it was beautiful.”

Trini clears her throat and glances away, “Yeah.”

“You should see it on a new moon though,” Kim looks back at the sky. “You never really realize how much light pollution the moon gives off until its light it gone.”

“I’d never thought of that,” Trini says, and she feels more than a little dazed.

“What’s in the bag?” Kim asks and Trini is pulled from her spell. 

She clears her throat and looks down at the bag in her lap. “Oh,” Trini opens the zipper, “A blanket, that tea I promised and some tea cookies.”

“Wow, look at you go Miss Survivalist,” Kim bumps their shoulders together and suddenly Trini feels so ridiculous. Kim didn’t bring a bag. Kim didn’t bring anything. God, Trini must look so stupid with her blanket and tea and dumb, stupid tea cookies—

“I’m actually so glad you thought to bring because I’m actually getting kinda cold,” Kim lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Oh, yeah,” Trini nods, her embarrassment melting away, leaving her feeling a little dumb for overreacting. 

Trini pulls out the blanket and hands it to Kim who throws it over both of their shoulders. Trini feels herself get distracted by the press of Kims arm along hers, by the press of their thighs, by the heat pooling between them because of the blanket. Trini almost drops a thermos handing one to Kim. 

Kim snorts, but doesn’t say anything. Opting instead to open the lid of her thermos, inhaling the smell of oolong tea and cool, night mountain air.

“You know, when I was little, I used to wonder if there were aliens out there, looking down on us, and I am just now realizing that I have definitive proof of alien existence,” Kim says, absently tracing a finger along the top of her thermos, a smile playing at the edge of her mouth.

“Oh my god,” Trini feels a smile grow on her face. She’d literally been thinking about that a minute ago, and the whole Zordon vs Rita thing didn’t even cross her mind. They didn’t even cross her mind. 

“Like, that huge cavern with the spaceship and Alpha 4 and Zordon, that’s all, like, some next level Area 51 shit,” Kimberly laughs and Trini finds herself joining in quietly.

“The US government would lose their mind if they ever found out,” Trini supplies.

“The US government?” Kimberly snorts, “Can you imagine all of those, like, tin-foil hat dudes? _They_ would lose their minds.”

“All this time, they’d been searching for proof of extraterrestrial life in the desert, when all they had to do was come to Angel Grove’s local Krispy Kreme.”

“Or maybe fall off a cliff into a hidden lake?”

“This whole thing is so ridiculous,” Trini says.

“No kidding,” Kimberly rolls her eyes, “Wait, oh my god, did Jason actually say ‘It’s morphin’ time’ just before the battle? Or did I just hallucinate that?”

Trini lets out a few giggles, “Oh my god,” a few more, “No, that was totally real.”

Kimberly puffs up her chest, and deepens her voice, “It’s morphin’ time!” We both dissolve into giggles, leaning into each other like life long gal pals. “I didn’t even register what he said until now. Like I was just so hyped on adrenaline that I didn’t even realize how completely ridiculous that sounds.”

“Me too, oh my god, me too,” Trini says between giggles, her head pillowed—somehow—on Kim’s shoulder.

“Although,” Kim hums, placing her head on top of Trini’s. “If I’m being completely honest, it’s kind of endearing, isn’t it? Like, it’s a super cute catchphrase,” Kim pauses and lifts her head to look at Trini. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah,” Trini nods and lifts her head, almost self-consciously from Kim’s shoulder. “It’s kind of like, making this whole deal less terrifying?” Trini’s statement comes out more like a question. She sighs, “Does that make sense?”

Kim laughs, “Yeah,” she nods, an amused smile on her face. “No, I totally get what you’re saying. Like, we’re dealing with this crazy, heavy stuff, and Jason accidentally keeps it light by accidentally making up a stupid catchphrase.”

“Exactly,” Trini nods, looking back out to the stars. “Like two months ago, I was researching universities, and now, I’ve got super strength and I’m responsible for the whole universe.”

“Heavy stuff, dude,” Kim mumbles into her tea, looking out into the stars. Trini finds herself lost in her thoughts and the stars and forgets to answer, taking an absentminded sip from her tea. 

“What were you thinking of studying?” Kim suddenly asks.

“Oh,” Trini pulls back a bit. “I don't really know, honestly,” Trini shrugs and looks away. “I was thinking about maybe going into sociology, maybe major in anthropology or history,” she sighs again, “I don't really know, honestly, but I’m thinking a humanity.”

“That’s super cool,” Kim nods along, “Anthropology is, like, the science of people right?”

“Yeah,” Trini nods, pulling her baseball cap a little lower. “I don't know, I guess, I’ve been watching people for so long that I’ve started to kind of like it.”

“Ohh,” Kim teases, “So you're something like an exhibitionist?”

Trini turns to Kim, a slight smile on her face and an eyebrow raised. “Something like that,” she deadpans.

Kim leans back, cackling into the still night air, “Oh boy, oh boy.” They both dissolve into laughter.

“No, but for real, I’m interested,” Kim sighs, “Anthropology deals with people, right?”

“Yeah,” Trini nods again feeling those butterflies start up again.

“Okay, so that means, like, dealing with people…” Kim trails off.

“And…” Trini urges, already knowing where this is going.

“Well,” Kim starts, hesitates, “I don't want to be that guy, but, like, Trini, you’re not the most extroverted person.”

Trini feels herself sigh. “Just because I’m not great with people doesn't mean that I don't want to study them,” she pauses, “Wait, that came out weird.”

“No, no, I think I get what you’re saying.”

“Like just because I have a little trouble talking to people doesn’t mean I don't want to know why some people in society have a tougher time than others,” Trini shrugs again. “And, like, not to mention all the different cultures. Like, so heckin’ cool.”

“Not gonna lie, I’ve always sort of wondered why humans have so many different cultures,” Kim remarks, and it’s like they’re sharing the same brain. Trini excitedly points at her, making an emphatic face. “Like, okay, I totally understand why variations in culture would logically happen, because of, like, climate, and weather, and terrain, but like, why do we have different languages and different gods that do pretty much the same things?”

“I am constantly wondering the same things,” Trini turns to look at Kim and she's already looking, and she’s smiling and her hair is in her face, and her cheeks are a little red, and her nose is definitely red, and Trini’s heart misses a beat. Or a few.

“I’m sure someone knows the answers,” Kim says, a little less enthused, but still beaming.

“Someone’s got to,” Trini says back, a soft smile sliding into place. Trini catches herself staring at Kim’s lips and she catches herself leaning in, slightly, and she catches Kim leaning in, and Trini must be imagining this because this cannot be happening. Trini is never this lucky. Kimberly Hart is not leaning into kiss Trini, _she’s not_.

And then suddenly Kim says, “Honestly, I kind of admire you,” and Trini snaps back to where she was sitting because it wasn’t happening. Kimberly Hart was not leaning in to kiss her. _She wasn’t._

Trini turns her face back to the stars, putting Kim into the back of her periphery, hoping that the darkness of night hides the blush on her cheeks.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do before we found the magic coins, and I’m no closer to finding an answer now.” Kimberly shakes her head as she takes a sip form her thermos. “It’s actually super awesome that you even kind of have an idea of where you want to go, and that there’s a market for something you’re passionate about.”

“Yeah,” Trini says, trailing off. Trini aims for wistful, but ends up somewhere in dismissive.

Kim doesn’t say anything for a few beats, then, “If your life was a sitcom, what would you name it?” Kim’s voice comes out of nowhere.

“What,” Trini's startled into looking at her, and she unexpectedly smiles.

“You know,” she shrugs, “if your life was a sitcom, what would the title be?”

“I don’t know,” Trini panics a little bit and says the first thing that comes to mind, “Deep Sea Mission to Mars.”

“What?” Kim starts laughing.

“What?” Trini says back.

“Nothing,” she smothers her laughter, “I was just expecting you to say something boring, like The Trini Show or something.”

Trini pretends to gawk at her, “Well, excuse me,” Trini turns up her nose in faux-annoyance. “I will have you know that I am a very cultured, intelligent, interesting person. I am very offended.”

“And I was sorely mistaken,” Kim shoots back, “Why Deep Sea Mission to Mars, thought?”

Trini drops the facade with a defeated sigh, “I panicked and just spit out the first jumble of words that make to my head.”

“Follow-up question,” Kim says over barely contained laughter, “Why were those the first words that popped into your head?”

“I don’t know,” Trini half-heartedly shrugs, “Maybe my subconscious wants to scuba dive on Mars.”

“If you found enough water to scuba dive on Mars, I’m pretty sure every scientist on Earth would want to personally shake your hand.” Kim rolls her eyes and shakes her head as she takes a sip from her thermos.

“And I would want to shake their hands as well,” Trini shoots back, “Scientists do a lot for us.”

“Oh my gosh,” Kim sighs excitedly, “Right?” She leans toward me, “Like, dude, listen.”

“I’m listening,” Trini say through a smile.

“Scientists are so freaking cool,” Kim whispers conspiratorially, “How do they know so many cool things? Like how can people just be that smart?”

“I don’t know,” Trini shrugs again, “I guess they just, like, study a lot.”

“Like a hecking lot, I bet!” Kim suddenly exclaims, “I just can’t imagine what it would be like to be that smart. Like what is it like to just know so many things?”

“I don’t know, Kim. You know a lot of things.” Trini has to glance away from Kim, her gaze too intense for Trini to handle. “Like you know a lot of things that I don't know.”

“Okay, but, like, those are different things,” Kim shrugs off, “I mean, like, I wish I knew cool things. Like the temperature of the sun. There are people out there who know the temperature of the sun!”

“I mean, it’s probably safe to just guess that it’s really fucking hot,” Trini mumbles.

“I don't know, Trini,” she sighs, suddenly forlorn, “I wish I tried harder in school when I was younger. I wish I had made better study habits so that I could be smart. I wish I did the work when I had a chance.”

“Kim,” Trini says firmly, looking back at Kim. “You’re still really smart and you totally have the ability to become smarter.”

“But I don’t, Trini, because now I’m lazy and I’ve made bad habits and I mean, I say I want to change, but that doesn’t mean I have the motivation to actually make it happen. Like where I am right now, is good enough for me. I’m passing with average enough marks. I mean, they’re nothing to brag about, but I’ve never failed a class, and I don't think I ever will,” Kim pauses, “But, like, I’m also not on honour roll, you feel?”

Trini sighs and looks back to the stars. “I mean,” Trini starts, “On one hand I get what you’re saying, but like, on the other hand, we all can't be crazy smart math geniuses. Because if we were, there wouldn't be any scientists at all because we’d all be scientists.”

“Are you a communist?” Kim suddenly asks.

“What?” Trini is so thrown. What did she miss?

“Because that is a really communist thing to say,” Kim shrugs, “Everyone has a purpose and all that.”

“Well,” Trini says, incredulous, “everyone does have a purpose.”

“Maybe,” Kim says, then shrugs. “I don't know, I think there are some pretty useless people out there.”

“Maybe,” Trini says, then shrugs as well. “I don’t know, I think that everyone can find something they’re good at.”

“Never pegged you as an optimist,” Kim says.

“I’m a superhero now,” Trini shrugs one shoulder.

“I guess so,” Kim says.

They sit in silence for a minute. Trini doesn’t really know what to say after that. What _do_ you say after that? Trini doesn’t know, so they both just look up at the sky, each lost in their own little worlds. 

Then Kimberly says, so very softly, “Mine was about losing you.”

And for a moment, Trini is so very confused, and then she remembers that they were meeting that night to talk about their nightmares, and Trini’s heart swells so fast, she’s a little afraid it might burst. 

Trini looks at her, a question on her face. Kim doesn’t look at Trini; she’s looking at the stars. 

“In my dream, I lost all of you,” and just like that Trini deflates a little. 

And then she’s so angry at herself for feeling jealous of the others. How dare Trini be upset that Kimberly is afraid of losing all of them, and not just her? Trini is nothing special. She’s just another one of the rangers. They’re all equal in her eyes, _as it should be_. They’re all friends. Why should Kimberly be more upset about losing Trini than she would be over losing someone like Zack, or Billy, or _Jason_. 

“I don’t really remember the specifics of my dream,” Kimberly continues, “But I remember I did something awful. Something like what Rita did.”

“You’re nothing like Rita,” Trini saya firmly, instantly, “Nothing like her.”

“I mean, rationally, on the most basic level, I get that. I totally agree, I am nothing like Rita,” she says back, “Except that I sort of am.”

“I have a really hard time believing that,” Trini says, her eyebrows furrowing. 

“I betrayed my friends once,” Kim whispers, “And who’s to say I won't do it again?”

Trini purses her lips and lets out a sigh. “Kim,” Trini twists the lid onto her thermos, “Look, I don't know exactly what you did, and I don't expect you to tell me, but I did hear the rumours. And while I doubt what you did was half as bad as they make it out to seem, you still did a pretty shitty thing.” 

Trini finds herself looking back at the sky before she continues, “But what Rita did, is way different. Rita didn't just betray her friends. Rita wanted them dead. She wanted everything dead. She wanted to destroy and hurt and maim and kill,” Trini looks back at Kimberly, who’s now looking back at her. “And I don't think you could honesty do that. I saw the way you looked at Billy when he—when Rita—when he was gone, and you could never do that to us.”

This time Trini doesn't stop herself from grabbing Kim’s hand. “Kim, you did a shitty thing once, and now you're learning from it. I don't think you’ll make the same mistake twice.”

Kimberly bobs her head in a stilted imitation of a nod. She sniffles and, with the hand thats not taken by mine, she wipes a few tears from her eyes. “Thanks Trini.”

“No problem,” Trini squeezes Kim’s hand for good measure, a soft smile on her face. 

Kim sniffles again, “Your turn. I went first. Now it’s your turn. Tell me about your nightmare.”

Trini pauses, glancing away to the sky. Finally, Trini sighs and leans her head against the railing, still holding Kim’s hand. “It was Rita,” she starts, and Kimberly waits. Trini can see Kim gazing at her in her periphery. “I mean, we all almost died and we had to fight this weird, almost human-looking alien lady and now we’re all supposed to be okay with that?” 

Trini doesn’t say anything for a few moments and neither does Kim and the silence grows until Trini shakes her head and whispers, “I’m not okay with that,” like it’s a sacred secret that she could never utter. 

“She came into my home, into my room and almost killed me and I’m supposed to just be okay sleeping in there?” Trini pauses, feeling the hot sting of tears burning the back of her eyes. 

Kim squeezes Trini’s hand, and just like that, the flood gates open. “I’m trying so hard to be okay. I am. I really am, but I’m scared, Kim,” Trini turns to her, “Like what if what Rita said is true? What if there are more people out there like her, and what if they’ve been going from planet to planet, stealing Zeo Crystals and killing off entire planets worth of life? What if we're the only ones capable of stopping that? I’m seventeen, Kim. I’m supposed to be figuring out my sexuality and partying and fucking shit up! I’m not supposed to be saviour of the world, let alone the fucking universe.” Trini pauses, breathing heavily, heart pounding.

“How am I supposed to save the universe if I can’t even figure myself out?” Trini whispers into the chilly night air.

“Trini,” Kim lets go of her hand in favour of grabbing her shoulder. Kim turns them both so they’re facing each other. “Trini, you’re not doing this alone. You don’t have to do this alone,” she rubs her hand comfortingly up and down Trini’s upper arm. “We’re all here for you. Me and Jason, Billy and Zach, too. We’re a team now, whether we like it or not. And yeah, all this responsibility is seriously crushing, especially considering being a Power Ranger isn’t exactly a paying occupation. But we’re here for each other, Trini.”

Kim’s eyes dance between Trini’s for a few beats before she continues, “I know you have this Lone Wolf thing going on, and I get that making new friends is hard, especially when you've been living a certain way for so long, trust me, I get it. But when the world feels like it’s crashing down on your shoulders, you can come to one of us, and we’ll help you through it.” Kim stops then and swallows. 

“You can come to me,” she says, her voice so low it’s almost a whisper. Kim reaches a hand out and brushes away the tears Trini didn’t even know were on her face. 

“What we went through was fucking crazy, but we went through it together. So, we’ll just have to heal together too,” Kim rubs her thumb across Trini’s cheekbone, gently wiping away stray tears. “And if you ever can’t bring yourself to step foot into your room, you can always come stay in mine,” Kim whispers this, and fresh tears leak out of Trini’s eyes, the offer something new and foreign, but entirely welcome. Kimberly pulls me into a hug and for possibly the first time since Trini was a baby, she lets herself cry into someone’s shoulder. 

It’s oddly therapeutic fro Trini, to release the tension she didn’t even know she had. And when Trini pulls back, Kim wipes away a few more tears, and Trini feels better. She’s still scared of what the future holds, and what might be coming for them, but she feels safe. She feels safe here, sitting on a make-shift balcony, attached to a rickety tree house, in the arms of Kimberly Hart. She feels safe and warm and loved and accepted. 

And when Kimberly’s eyes meet Trini’s, and she starts to lean in, Trini leans in too. She closes her eyes and Trini closes hers, and when their lips meet, Trini’s heart explodes. Kim’s hand is on Trini’s face and Trini’s is on her shoulder, and the kiss tastes like salt and oolong tea and Trini wouldn’t change this for the world. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please come and chat with me on [tumblr](https://sunscreams.tumblr.com)


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